PARMA, Ohio — A Parma police officer is on paid administrative leave after allegations he used excessive force against a 13-year-old boy during an incident outside the city's police station last summer.
News 5 Investigators obtained body-camera videos and a security camera video, which show Officer Michael Frinzl pushing the boy's head into the building's brick wall and dragging his face along the surface.
The incident began when Parma police were called to Walters Grove Park & Pool for a report of kids fighting just after 6 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2025.
When the boy's mother, Lisa Gonzalez, came to pick him up from the park, he threw a stick at her minivan and ran off.
Officers said pieces of the stick hit them. They ran after the boy, arrested him, and took him to the police station.
As Frinzl and another officer are walking the boy, who was handcuffed, into the building, the video shows Frinzl grab the boy's head, push it into the wall, and scrape it along the wall's surface before he was brought into the building.
The boy was later taken to the hospital for treatment.
The hospital called Gonzalez to pick up her son. Pictures showed her son's bruising and scrape marks along the right side of his face.
"To cause that much harm to a child says a lot about their character," she said. "You don't hurt children."
Gonzalez's attorney, Subodh Chandra, said the boy weighed only about 70 pounds at the time of the incident and was handcuffed.
"There's simply no reason any officer should ever need to do that," Chandra said. "That's excessive force, period."
He plans to file a lawsuit to hold the officer and the police department accountable for what happened to the boy.
"This just seemed to be an exercise of brute force and bullying by the officer," he said.
Gonzalez said her son "is not the same kid he was" before the incident.
She said he was happy, outgoing, and caring and said there is "nothing that makes him happy anymore" and that he was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Charges filed by the Parma police related to the incident were dismissed in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.
Parma Police Department response
News 5 Investigators requested an on-camera interview with Chief Kevin Riley. He declined our request.
Scott Traxler, public information officer, sent us the following statement:
"On May 28, 2026, allegations concerning an officer’s use of force during a prior juvenile detention were brought to the attention of Parma Police Chief Kevin Riley. The incident occurred at the Parma Police Department last year on August 13, 2025. The incident arose during the detention of a juvenile who had been arrested in connection with multiple alleged offenses. Because the matter involves a juvenile, the Department will not provide further details regarding the juvenile case.
Chief Riley ordered an internal investigation, which is still underway. The investigation includes a review of all available evidence, including video footage, reports, witness statements, applicable Department policies, and any other relevant information. The officer whose conduct is under review was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Paid administrative leave is not a disciplinary finding, and no conclusion has been reached.
The Parma Police Department takes allegations involving the use of force seriously. Department personnel are expected to conduct themselves professionally and in accordance with law and Department policy.
Because this matter involves an active investigation and a juvenile, the Department is limited in what additional information can be released at this time. The Department is committed to a thorough, objective, and fair review of the facts. Written investigative findings will be prepared and handled in accordance with applicable law, Department policy, and confidentiality requirements."
